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@tI-lidad xsf/@bhw STEPHEN UPSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

Letters Patent No. 88,423, dated liIcLrch 30, 1869.

DEVICE FOR VIOLIN-PRACTICE.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of theAsame.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN UrsoN, of the city, county, and Sta-te ofNew York, have invent-cd a new and improved Device for Practising theHandling of Violins and Bows; and I do hereby declare that thefollowingis a full, clear 'tud exactdesc-ription thereof, whichwillenable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, referenceheilig had to the accompanying drawings,forming part of thiss1')ecificat-ion.

Figure` l represents a plan or top view of my improved practice-blockfor violins.

Figure 2 is an inverted plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section of the saine, the plane ofsection being indicated by the line fr rc, fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invent-ion has for its object, to teach beginners the manner ofhandling the bows of violins, and equivaient instruments, and the inodeof using the fingers, and practising the shifts on the finger-board ofthe instrument, all without producing any noise, and without exposingvaluable instruments to the risk of being spoiled bythe practitioners.

The invention consists inthe use of a block, A, which is shaped, more orless, like a violin, and which has a scale marked on its finger-hoard,upon which the ngers may be practised as on a real instrument.

rlhe block has also a transverse groove, a., in which a stick, B, can bedrawn back and forth, to teach the movements of the bow.

It is one ofthe first requisites in violin-playing, that the b`ow shouldalways be held parallel with the bridge. The direction of the how, inthis respect, should never be changed. If the. bow is-'drawn at anotherthan a right angle across the strings, a very impure, shrieking soundwill he produced. The scholar should, therefore, firstpractisc, toproduce the. requisite straight motion of the how.

Thev stick is preferably made prismatic, so as to have sharp corners,that it may not be turned in the similarly-shaped grorwe of the block.

The person using it, will be obliged to move the stick straight, as itwill not move otherwise in the groove. The muscles of the hand and armwill, by constant practice with this stick and block, be trained so asto become accustomed to the proper motion.

Short and long strokes may be used to represent short and long bowing.

Another great advantage of this device is, that the practitioner doesnot produce the disagreeable noise generally made by scholars on musicalinstruments.

The block is or maybe provided with another groove, b, which is not asdeep as the first, and which has its bottom bevelled down at the ends,as in iig. 3, for the purpose of allowing the position of the bow, forplaying single strings, to be practised. Three planes are, by thebevels, formed on the bottom of the shallow groove b, as shown, and thescholar can hold his bow on any one ofthe four corners of the same, andchange from one corner to the other, as if from one string to the other,always, however, keeping the stick parallel with the bridge,-that is tosay, in the groove.

On the neck and finger-board, is a raised rib,c, on which the fingersshould be held while they are prac tising on the aforesaid scale. Thefingers are thereby compelled to follow a straight line in their'motionon the scale. The scale need only represent one octave. If the scholarhas become familiar with it, the other scales will be easy for him toproduce.

In order to teach the lip-and-down motion of the bow, that is to say, tohave it shifted more or less far from the bridge, toward the neck,without ever llosing its parallel direction with the bridge, I havearranged two guide-bars, C C, on the upper or lower side of the block,and a sliding case, D, suspended therefrom. i

The stick B can be fitted through the case D, and can be moved back andforth in the same, and at the same time shifted up or down with thesame. The requisite shifting is thus produced, while the stick isconstantly in the correct position.

I claim as new, and desire to secure -by Letters Patent- 1. A block, A,when provided with grooves, or their equivalents, to allow the motionsfor playing a violin to be practised uponiit, substantially as hereinshown and described.

2. The groove b, having the bevelled'bottom, when arranged in the blockA, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and described.

3. The straight groove (t, or its equivalent, when arranged in the blockA, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and described.

4. The sliding case D, when arranged on the block to practise theshifting motion of the bow, as set orth.

5. Providing the block A witha scale for fingerpractice, as set forth,and with one or more raised lines, c, as specified.

STEPHEN UPSON.

Witnesses:

A. V. BRIESEN, FRANK BLocKLEY.

